Opening Day!

Opening day for football was in big old Boron! What a place, we were driving around before the game because we got there early (it does not take 1 1/2 hours to get there) and Jimi, Sami and I all said it looks JUST like the town from the movie Cars. It even has a HUGE Tonka looking truck parked in the middle of town. Then we were driving around and something was said about the police in that town and the kids all said, "mom, towns this small don't have cops!" duh stupid mom. And I said "in towns like this EVERYONE is a cop" hahah.... sure enough we drive down the next street and drive by the Sheriff station and there are at least 100 cops. (I'm sure a lot were the volunteers) They had cars, and quads and funny helmets, and radios. I just sat back and smiled because I swear my kids really believed at that moment that I REALLY did know EVERYTHING! So, your wondering why all the cops? We were too, but our question was answered a short time later when we say them ALL at the Opening Day games. I guess football and cheer parents are the most dangerous kind. (I absolutely believe that!) Opening day for the cheerleaders is a JOKE! They learn this stupid dance for weeks and when they actually preform it, NOBODY can even see them, so they are just sitting in the HOT sun all day for NO reason, I think I won't let Jimi do it next year. She did great though, but she always does. Darn overachiever. Trever had GREAT games, they play 4 games that are each about 20 minutes long, and they don't keep score. Trever is the running back and back up quarterback. So he runs the ball... he breaks tackles like crazy and the funniest part of the day was when Trever broke about 6 tackles ran down the field, was ALMOST in the end zone and a kid from the other team came running in from the side line and tackled him. I have video and everyone says, "where did that kid come from?" Trever has some speed so he had pulled away from the pack and it was all open road, or so he thought. It was funny. It probably wouldn't have been if he would have gotten hurt, or if it were a real game, but it's quiet funny. He hurt 2 kids. As a mom this is a hard situation, when your kid hits another and gets up and keeps hitting, but the other kid is still lying on the field, part of you feels bad, it does. But the other part is filming and cheering inside, thinking... how much does he get paid for that hit? (bad bad mom) He had one great sack, he hit the quarterback so hard he flew into the running back, they both laid there for a minute and when they got up the quarterback was shaking his head, needless to say, he watched for Trever for the rest of the game. The ref told Trever he couldn't hit from the back and I guess that's where it is a good idea for security because both Jim and I were upset, because it was a COMPLETELY legal it, he sacked the quarterback, you can hit him in the back if you want. Trever was nervous to hit after that so Jim let the ref know that he didn't know what he was talking about and to not teach HIS kid the WRONG way to play football. It came out something like "Don't screw up my kid when he can hit like that!" It was fun. One of his cousins, Hannah is playing too, they even had a Hurley sandwich. She is doing good, we're proud of her. I am trying to get her to flip her hair or check her nails after she knocks down the boys, but she won't do it. It's still early in the season though.

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We don't know what exactly has happened to our Alex. When he wanted to play baseball we said o.k. never did we imagine he would be hitting them out of the park and make all stars his first year, but football, come on. He hasn't played for 3 years and wanted to play this year. He is on the senior team, which are really BIG boys. Alex has discovered what his body can do, and how to do it. HE IS AMAZING! It is so fun to watch him. He can HIT, and make kids fly, he isn't the fastest but he can get around almost ANYONE! He can catch. He can just about do it all. He is so excited out there he can't hold still, he is focused and energized and doing great! He starts on offense and defense, he had an INCREDIBLE sack in one of the scrimmages. Tons of great hits. It is Alex's time to shine. He is putting a lot of heart into football this year and it is great to see. He is really enjoying it. It's hard for me because he is now taller than me, and 6 pack abs and big old biceps. It's hard to discipline a kid that's bigger than you. Spanking probably wouldn't work anymore. We are hoping that football will be the incentive he needs to keep his grades up. So far so good. I have no still pictures of Alex or Jimi, I do have video, but they were so far away I couldn't get any shots of them. Next time, I promise!

Finally... Trever's Baptism Aug 2nd 2008

I know, I know, it's been long enough. My life has been crazy, but I am finally ready to post about Trev's baptism. We have been looking forward to this for a long time. When Alex was 6 or 7 Jim and I weren't active in the church, but something started bothering Jim. It was really important for him to be the one to baptize all of his kids. So we started going back to church and he promised himself, me and all the kids that he would be a worthy Priesthood holder that would baptize and confirm them all. Well... He did it, and I couldn't be prouder of all my kids and my wonderful husband that took that promise very seriously.





Ok, so about a week before Trever's baptism we were swimming, and were playing and told him to practice so he wouldn't drown. So I grab him like I was going to baptize him and dunk away... he comes out of the water choking and gagging and I put him on the edge of the pool and he PUKES!! This scared us because we worried that we scared the demons in him with the fake baptism, what was going to happen when the real thing happened? Would the water turn black and start to boil? Would Trev's head spin and eyes turn red? Anyone who knows Trever knows that he is sometimes the spawn of Satan, we just don't always know if it's from my side of the family or Jim's. (sometimes it's both) Then, while swimming, he learned to do the "dead man's float". You know when they pretend to have drowned and float face down it the water? He swore he was going to do this, and I wouldn't have put it past him at all. He is just so ornery and such a jokester I could see him doing it. But everything went off without a hitch, no boiling black water, no dead man's float, no fatalities at all. He shared his special day with Angelina Sanchez whom is a good friend of our families, she's a girl so of course not a friend of Trever's, besides she is like 3 days older than him and that just makes him mad! Jimi spoke on Baptism, and Breanna Walker (Angelina's cousin) spoke on the Holy Ghost. All the cousins and primary kids sang. Jim baptized both of them, and then confirmed them both. It was a great day! Trever was a different boy for a few days, he was really trying to be good and sweet to his brother and sisters but do you know how hard that gets after a few days?





Trever, we are so proud of you for making this choice to be baptized. I hope your testimony can grow and you will continue with the desire to go on your mission and stay close to the gospel. We love you so much!

Back To School!

Ok, to be honest I have been counting the hours until school started since last week. Today was the day. Jim and I got up and went for a walk and woke the kids when we got home. They moved the bus time later this year so they don't have to be at the bus stop until 7:30. Alex was excited but nervous and he hates school so we will see how it goes. Jimi is starting Middle School this year and it's sad, my kids are getting so big. Sami is the "King" of the elementary school, she is in 4th grade and they moved the 5th graders to the middle school this year too. She loves school so she was excited. Trever was nervous, he was stressing about what bus to get on to come home on, even though he's done it for years and the teachers help the kids. He has NEVER gone home on the wrong bus yet! So they left, I did a happy dance, made a few beds, then sat down to watch Big Brother which is DVR'd. Click... Click.... Click.... TV is OUT! BROKE!! BUSTED!! D-O-N-E!! It has been acting up for quiet a few months, but it is OVER! Now, I knew it was coming and I have said, oh well when it goes out NO more TV. But it is REALLY quiet today. No fighting or screaming, all I hear are the voices in my head (nobody panic, they're normal ones!) So maybe my house will be REALLY clean today, or when the kids get home I will sit down and make them entertain me. Now only if the remote controlled them.... hmmm. I guess I have the next 8 hours to think ab0ut that.

Happy Birthday Trever!!

Well its the BIG 8! Trever turned 8 on July 22nd. I know its been a long time!! For his birthday we went to Bakersfield and went shopping, he got a bunch of matchbox cars and a case for them, and Nerf gun that has two guns and two vests and Velcro darts that he and Alex have shot each other ever since. We ate Taco Bell for his birthday lunch and he got sick in the canyon on the way home, just like he always does. Being LDS this is a big birthday for him because he gets to be baptized. . We did it with another little girl from church. I'll post on his baptism later. Trever is a GREAT kid. He has been difficult because he defiantly has a mind of his own and likes to do things HIS way. His way is usually just like his dads way because he trys to be JUST like him, and wants to do everything with him. He's good at sports, he's just a natural athlete. He is probably the funniest person I have ever met. He always has a witty comeback and his facial expressions are so dramatic. He pukes over EVERYTHING, which is funny in itself. (It is, you would have to see how we can make him.)When he grows up he wants to be a Troubleman just like his Papa Hurley, and uncle Kenny. He loves his hunting dog Maggie, he loves to hunt birds and once carried a quail head around in his vest pocket for weeks until I FINALLY found what was smelling up my laundry room. He loves horses, and not just riding, he will clean stalls and feed and take care of them. He is an amazing athlete, whether it's dirtbikes, baseball or football, he does great. He isn't always nice to his brother and sisters but loves them in his special way. He has a huge heart.

Now his birth story. This one is a little hard for me, mainly because I swear I blocked it out for a year after he was born so I missed out on a lot of the details. July 22nd in the morning I had a Dr. appt. They had been stopping my labor for months and that day they said they wouldn't stop it if I went into labor again. I guess he heard that and decided to wait untill I was really tired. So I was feeling weird when I went to bed, I suspected contractions but didn't really think it was happening. Finally about 4am I woke up and took a shower, they didn't hurt but I was so tired and hadn't been sleeping well. I decided they were contractions and were only like 4 minutes apart so I woke up Jim and talked him into calling his friends that were coming to watch the kids if I went into labor. This is when we lived in Colorado Springs and had NO family anywhere nearby. They arrived about 45 minutes later and the hospital was only 2 blocks away. They got me in and checked and I was already 5cm. They offered a wheelchair ride down the hall to a delivery room, but I wasn't in pain so I walked. I informed them that I wanted an epidural so to meet me there. They did! Even though I still had NO pain I got the epidural. (Haven't you heard of those women who wait until it hurts and miss out because it's too late?) It seemed like it took forever to get the epidural, but as soon as they were finished, I mean I rolled over and started pushing. Trever was born 5:34am on July 22nd. Now this part gets fuzzy... I saw PANIC on every ones face and they were calling the NICU and they let me see him but he was bluish grey and I told them to help him. They rushed him off with a mask over his face that they would pump every few seconds to breath for him. Jim asked me what he should do, stay with me because it happened so fast NO ONE was there yet, or go with the baby?? I told him to go with the baby, the nurse cleaned up and withing 15 minutes she left. I was alone, and then the epidural kicked in so I couldn't walk and had NO idea if my baby was even alive. It seemed like an eternity before Jim could come back and tell me that they stabilized him. He was 6 weeks early, he weighted 5lbs, I have NO idea if there were oz in there. I have NO idea how long he was. His lungs weren't developed but they wanted him to strengthen them so they didn't start him out on a respirator, but within a day he had tore a hole in his lunge and had to be put on a respirator. He had IV's in his poor head. We finally got to hold him after 9 days and he got to come home, on oxygen, after 12 days I think. Like I said I have NO idea, it's all blocked out. I guess that is why he is so stubborn, and such a fighter. After that we decided 4 kids were enough, and we could always adopt later. A short 6 weeks later Trever was BACK in the hospital for 3 days with RSV, a respiratory virus that can be deadly for newborns. He was fine!

Trever, we love you!!

Guess Who's Back.... back again...

Yep, it's official.... MY VAN IS HOME!! That's right, last week the missionaries and our friend Byron came over to visit, well at the end they ask "Is there anything your family needs or can we do anything for you?" We say no, and then I stop and say..." unless you can get my van back for me." They say they will pray about it and that is always good, but we have been praying for weeks and I was looking for a good attorney because they were still refusing to do anything to get it fixed. Well 8:00 the next morning we get a call that they agree it was the mechanics fault and they were going to pay for everything in full and I would have a check in a few days. So I call Honda, thinking it would still be awhile before they could finish it, NOPE! It took Honda only 1 week, and that INCLUDES the time it took to have the new motor shipped to them. Tommie and Tabi took me to Lancaster (thankyou so much). We shopped a little, I got a REALLY cute dress from JC Pennys. Then I picked it up, it is great, it runs beautifully. I also had an oxygen sensor that was bad and they changed my HEPA fillter and recharged my AC. I am so happy and thankfull. Now if I can just NOT speed.. you have NO idea how hard that is for me in that van.

On another note.... I have this CTR sticker on the back bumper of my van. It's how people know it's me. This saying is something we push for the kids to remember, they have rings and jewelry and shirts and everything, but I sometimes wonder what other people who aren't LDS think it means. It really means Choose The Right, but I also like Choose To Race, Crash Team Racing. If you have any other good ideas post them for me...

Summer Fun!

We have been trying to make the best out of the summer. I start feeling guilty when my kids are board and have nothing fun to do. So, last week I took them to the lake a few times to swim, it was so much fun especially since the temperature was 110 those days. When we started at the lake the water was THICK and GREEN, but after about an hour it cleared up. For those of you that don't know when there is a giant change in temperature the water in the lake turns which turns it green, but also makes it nice and warm. We also enjoyed watching the helicopters come and dip from the lake to drop water on the fire.

I think the fire is almost out because we have had HORRIBLE flooding.We haven't been effected by it yet but some friends of ours have had to be evacuated and it is affecting them greatly. Our prayers are with them all.

We had a rock skipping contest and I will say Alex won hands down and was skipping rocks 12 to 13 times. Jimi's best was 6, Sami was 5 and Trever had one that skipped 6 and I had one that skipped 6, but I tried REALLY hard. Alex is a PRO rock skipper!

We then went swimming at our friends pool ALL day on Saturday, right up until the flooding started, then we went out to ride the horses for a few hours since the rain really cooled off. It was a nice weekend.

Work has been SO SO busy, which means lots of hard work and lots of money. We think we have things solved with the van and as long as they send me the check this week, Lancaster Honda says they will have it fixed by Friday, Monday or Tuesday at the latest, I LOVE LANCASTER HONDA! They have treated us SO good, I will never take my van anywhere else for ANYTHING!

It's OVER!!

After a long softball/baseball season and just when we thought it was over, both Alex and Jimi got the call for all stars. (Dang overachievers, they get that from me) So they had practices all week then Jimi had a game in Rosamond, which is about 2 hours away, both Friday and Saturday. So, my friend Tina and I took the girls down and stayed the night in Mojave. I took the camera so when Jim went to Alex's game on Saturday no camera. Sorry for only Jimi pictures. Alex lost his first game but did really well himself, he threw someone out at second. He practiced all week at second base but ended up playing center field in the game. We were really proud of him, he really did a great job this year in baseball. I swear every time I leave for a day and come back that kid is inches taller. He is now taller than I am. It is weird to have your kid taller than you, I don't like it. He is currently out riding MY dirt bike that he couldn't touch the ground on just a month ago. Anyways, back to baseball. They had a game on Sunday and Alex chose not to play on the Sabbath, we are so proud of him, but the team lost and that was the end of the line for them. Now, Jimi's game on Friday was against Boron, whom they lost their only game in regular season to. They won! Then Saturday they played and they lost, which meant they had to play again in Rosamond on Sunday. Jimi knew she wasn't playing on Sunday until we found out they had NO players that were sitting out and if she didn't play they would have to forfeit and her team would be out of the tournament. She went to church and got picked up from there and went to the game, which they won! So again they played in Rosamond on Monday. Now all of you are aware of my car issues so again she got a ride and finally they lost! I think they took second for their district. Jimi played third base and had a lot of action there. She was worried about the grounders but did a good job. She psyched herself out and struck out a few times, but also hit a great pop up to outfield and got out and another one to left field and got a double. She also caught a few pop flies and got some outs. Her and Alex were great little ball players! But, I am glad it's over, no more worrying about practice and games and NO car and juggling work and quality family time. I will say that I had a great time in Mojave with Tina and the girls. We sat by the pool and laughed until we almost peed! It was a nice getaway! Thanks to Tina and Christine for the rides!